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No Flash Trail Cameras - need help
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I am looking for a no flash trail camera for a leopard hunt. Can anyone enlighten me on what they are using or what they have heard is a good camera? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.



Tom Addleman
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Posts: 1161 | Location: Kansas City, Missouri | Registered: 03 March 2006Reply With Quote
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It depends on what you're looking for. If you don't want what you're hunting to have any idea that the camera is there, you'll really like a Reconyx RC60. If you don't mind the infrared light, then then their RC55 is a great. I have both, but if I'm trying to get pics of an old and spooky animal, the RC60 is my choice.
The rapid fire picture capability of either Reconyx makes them stand above most everything else on the market. They can take 8,000-9,000 pics on one set of batteries. With the rapid fire pics taking every second or two, it's almost like watching a movie without consuming lots of memory. You can really pick up the social dymanics of what you're hunting, which is a lot of fun to watch while on your safari.





 
Posts: 1445 | Location: Bronwood, GA | Registered: 10 June 2003Reply With Quote
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I didn't think infrared lights would bother any game? Don't seem to bother anything in Rocksprings. I like my Moultrie I-60. It has a remote so you can take pics when you want too.


Robert

If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy. Thomas Jefferson, 1802
 
Posts: 1208 | Location: Tomball or Rocksprings with Namibia on my mind! | Registered: 29 March 2008Reply With Quote
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I have 5 trail cams that have the red infrared lights...Quite often you'll get pics of deer looking at the lights, getting nervous, and leaving. A lot of the time it doesn't bother them, but I think it can impact some very mature deer.
All I know is that a camera without any sort of visible light doesn't bother them at all.
 
Posts: 1445 | Location: Bronwood, GA | Registered: 10 June 2003Reply With Quote
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It depends on how much you want to spend? And how many cameras you need? One six hundred dollor camera or three 200 dollor cameras. I have 4 Cameras. These pics are from a Moultrie I40. Slower trigger speed 3 sec. so you need bait to hold the critter. Scoutgard,Cuddeback,Bushnell are all making good small cameras with fast trigger speeds for under 200.



 
Posts: 2694 | Location: East Wenatchee | Registered: 18 August 2008Reply With Quote
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We used regular flash cameras on last Safari on lion and leopard. Neither gave a rip.


York, SC
 
Posts: 1149 | Registered: 13 March 2005Reply With Quote
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thumb for the Moultrie I40. I've got four of them and have been very impressed with the reliability and picture quality and IMO it's the best value out there. Downside is as said above: shutter speed does require some type of bait but that sounds like it'll work out fine for your uses Big Grin

Good luck!!!


"....but to protest against all hunting of game is a sign of softness of head, not of soundness of heart."
Theodore Roosevelt
 
Posts: 466 | Location: Just west of Cleo, TX | Registered: 20 February 2008Reply With Quote
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I have tried a lot of different brands. Like Spring says, Recon is good, Cuddeback is better though in my opinion.

Cuddeback has a couple new models out now. tehy are $199 (Color) and $229 (IR). I asked a friend who had 8 of them what he thought and he said they are outstanding.

Trigger time is a big factor on any camera. Cuddeback leads the pack with trigger time. Recon has a very good trigger time, but not as fast as Cuddeback. Still, I think it is good enough for 99% of applications.

With the price of the new Cuddeback, it is hard not to choose it.

The cuddeback runs on 6 volt so I rig mine with a rechargable battery and a solar panel and stick a huge memory card in the slot and set it for 1 minute pictures.

The Recon is a 9 volt system that will run on a 6 volt battery without any trouble. Recon's Case looks to me like it is a Pelican case that is big enough to put your rechargable battery in it.

With some modification, you can remove the battery clips and velcro in a flay 6 volt. Very convenient!

I have watched Deer, Aoudad, Red Stag etc that have never been exposed to a flash camera. I set up the camera and watched them that night, they would occasionally look at the camera, but they did not spook one bit.

Many guys have said that the flash camera had no effect on the cats.
 
Posts: 6284 | Location: Dallas, TX | Registered: 13 July 2001Reply With Quote
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i have tried several and found the best to be cuddeback , seem to capture more photos and durable.


"The greatest threat to our wildlife is the thought that someone else will save it”

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Posts: 1201 | Location: South Africa  | Registered: 04 March 2005Reply With Quote
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I have had incredible luck with my Reconyx, best trail came I have ever owned.
 
Posts: 952 | Location: Mass | Registered: 14 August 2006Reply With Quote
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Taking my second generation cuddiebak with the infred red and SD cards 1 gig.... Also get a camera which takes SD cards andyou can exchange and see what is on the cards...unless you have a laptop reader... one set of Alkaline batteries will last the whole hunt...

Mike


Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting www.pvt.co.za " MAKE THE SHOT " 450#2 Famars
 
Posts: 6768 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
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I bought a Leaf River and do not recommend them. It was difficult to set up and review.


"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
 
Posts: 4782 | Location: Story, WY / San Carlos, Sonora, MX | Registered: 29 May 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Kenati:
quote:
Originally posted by SilentT:
I am looking for a no flash trail camera for a leopard hunt. Can anyone enlighten me on what they are using or what they have heard is a good camera? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.


Hey guys-

I’ve got the current skinny on this topic. I own two of the Scoutguard SG550V cameras with remote and video recording capability. I am VERY happy with this camera. I have also been a user of the high-end Moultrie IR video and Cuddeback IR video cameras on our ranch and the compact feature-rich HCO Scoutguard SG550V blows them both away!! (And, no, I don’t get any sort of kick back for saying so; just my honest opinion talking here). I took the Moutltrie I-40, I-60, and the Cuddeback IR back to were I bought them for a refund. I was disappointed with the lack of quality, despite all the hype.. I have the crappy pictures and video to prove my dissatisfaction.

On to the good stuff...

The SG550V model does daytime color video and pictures (5MP) and both IR video and IR pictures at night. The trigger time is very fast (<0.8-1.2s). The battery life (>80days) has been great on 8 AAs (but will run on only 4, if necessary). I use it with 2GB cards, but it might take up to 4GB, but don’t quote me on that. It can be set to take a picture first (with a date and time stamp) and then start recording video directly after that. It comes with a remote control that you can use to view the pictures and video with. The remote is about the same size as an iPod Nano. You can set all sorts of parameters, like how long you want the video to record, the delay between videos or pictures, how many pictures to take in a single series, etc. The camera is very compact (5.5 X 3.25 X 2 inches) and it’s weatherproof.

In fact, it is great not only in the woods, but also as a home security device. While away on our honeymoon in Italy for three weeks, my wife and I used it to catch two thieves in her house. The police used the video to catch the criminals. The detectives were amazed by the quality of images and asked where I could buy one.

Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, etc. do NOT carry these, which is probably why most people haven't heard of them (YET).

I ordered my Scoutguard SG550V from here for about $229: http://www.beebusyoutdoors.com/
(If you want video, which I recommend, be sure to order the “V” model)


Here is a review of the SG550V (and others) that shows options for security locks and ways to conceal them: http://www.chasingame.com/index.php?id=29

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

-Michael

Click here for video sample.
Click here for field sample pictures.
Click here for pictures of the camera itself.
Click here for mounting pictures.

 
Posts: 1051 | Location: Dirty Coast | Registered: 23 November 2000Reply With Quote
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I've got two $400.00 Cruddebacks and if I ever get my hands on that guy!!! Mad
 
Posts: 2694 | Location: East Wenatchee | Registered: 18 August 2008Reply With Quote
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Wow. Thanks for the great info Kenati. I'm checking it out.



Tom Addleman
tom@dirtnapgear.com

 
Posts: 1161 | Location: Kansas City, Missouri | Registered: 03 March 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Slider:
I've got two $400.00 Cruddebacks and if I ever get my hands on that guy!!! Mad


Man, I feel your pain, Slider. I overpaid when I bought the first one from the "Big Box" store, but I knew I might have to overpay in order to take advantage of their liberal return policy. At least until I figured out what worked and what didn't. Now that I know, I anticipate having quite a few cameras scattered throughout our properties. Not only to watch for game, but there seems to be an increase in trespassing too. The camp in Mississippi was broken into twice the last few years... it was cleaned out.

Cruddybacks have a long way to go to catch up to the HCO cameras. Moutrie does too, but I do like the temperature feature as part of the time stamp.
 
Posts: 1051 | Location: Dirty Coast | Registered: 23 November 2000Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by SilentT:
Wow. Thanks for the great info Kenati. I'm checking it out.


You are more than welcome. I've been on here for going on 9 years and have learned a tremendous amount over the years from those that really know (and often just THINK they know) what they are talking about. Wink

I'm glad to share my experiences with others, both good and bad.

As of Tuesday of this week, I have a camera lodged high in the fork of a tree overlooking some pigs wallows in the marsh near our fishing spot. We're going to head out next week and see what strolled in for a bite. I'll post some pics/videos when I get them.

Take care
 
Posts: 1051 | Location: Dirty Coast | Registered: 23 November 2000Reply With Quote
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I do not like to "double post", but I thought this was relevant information just in case you are not following the leopard video thread.

Also, I wanted to mention that the video quality that is uploaded on Youtube, via the links I posted above, is not quite the same quality that you will get downloading the videos to your computer. They are noticeably more clear on a computer than on the web.

As mentioned in the other thread while discussing the amount of time one can record video, I emailed the distributor to ask them about maximum memory card size. Their response is below. If you haven't purchased a camera already, you may want to wait a couple of weeks, or better yet, pre-order one of the new models. I cannot conceivably think that one would ever need more than a 16 GB card. I have never filled my 2GB, but then again I usually do a 1 to 3 minute delay between videos unless I want a continuous video sequence.

quote:
The largest card that the SG550 Series take is 2GB the next version of our camera will have bigger card support 16GB is going to be release by middle of august.

Thanks,

Jessie
Web: HCODealer.com
Email: sales@huntingcamonline.com
Phone: (803) 223-9710
Fax: (803) 334-4505
 
Posts: 1051 | Location: Dirty Coast | Registered: 23 November 2000Reply With Quote
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Posts: 952 | Location: Mass | Registered: 14 August 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Slider:
I've got two $400.00 Cruddebacks and if I ever get my hands on that guy!!! Mad


What is the problem with it?

I have one of the older models and it was very difficult to operate at first. Red buttons, yellow buttons and blue buttons that were not labeled ... it was a ridiculous system, but it worked! Once I figured out their ridiculous programming, it was flawless.

Thanks Kenati. I will check those out as well. Always like good recomendations.
 
Posts: 6284 | Location: Dallas, TX | Registered: 13 July 2001Reply With Quote
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Thanks Kenyati for the info. Might have to give them a try.


"....but to protest against all hunting of game is a sign of softness of head, not of soundness of heart."
Theodore Roosevelt
 
Posts: 466 | Location: Just west of Cleo, TX | Registered: 20 February 2008Reply With Quote
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The 05 Cuddieback is a fine Camera. In 06 Cruddieback came out with the Expert Model Trail Camera. Mine did not work right out of the box!!! As did a million of other Cruddebacks!!! I sent that camera back 3 times to the factory on MY DIME!!! I paid $400.00 for the piece of @#$#$$%!!! It still don't work right!!! I will NEVER buy another Camera from Cruddeback as long as I live!!! And I will be more than happy to spread the word about there worthless cutomer service!!!
 
Posts: 2694 | Location: East Wenatchee | Registered: 18 August 2008Reply With Quote
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I wrote to a couple of folks who asked me via PM what problems I had with the Cuddeback and Moultrie. Thought I might as well post them.

With the Cuddeback we kept getting distorted images; some were full screen, some were partial screen with a hazy background. Also, there is a little filter that automatically slides down over the objective lens of the camera when it is in IR mode. On a couple of cool mornings this mechanism did not retract all of the way and it obscured the images taken.

With regards to the Moultrie I-40/I-60, I don't have any bad images from these cameras. My main issues with those were the confusion on which memory card it was recording to: Will it be the internal this go-around? (limited capacity) or is it going to be on the external card? I usually have a pretty good grasp on electronics, but they were not very intuitive. It was a hassle for my dad to figure out as well and ended up causing a lot of missed opportunities. We had a few memory card compatibility issues too… and once the cards are bought and opened, most places will not take them back; money wasted. The laser pointer was a nice gadget, but not necessary. The moon phase is also an added feature, but I don’t really need that either. I did, however, like the temperature stamp. I hope the new Scoutguard has that feature built in. I also hope they maintain the small size. If you are worried about the camera being noticed or stolen, then size matters (amongst other things). The Moultrie is the largest (and sticks out like a sore thumb), followed by the Cuddeback IR, then the Bushnell (talked about below) and Scoutguard.

To add to the story, I did some more research this afternoon on cameras and spoke with my father-in-law about buying 5 new cameras for the hunting camp this season.

They will either be the Scoutguard cameras when they come out with the new model next month or the Bushnell Trophy Cam models. I learned today that the same company that makes the Scoutguard camera also makes one for Bushnell called the Trophy Cam. Both the Scoutguard and the Bushnell have LCD screens that you can view the pictures and video on, but the Bushnell model is built into the case instead of being a separate remote. I just learned about the Bushnell model today, otherwise I would have mentioned it before.

Here is a review that directly compares them both:
http://www.trailcampro.com/bus...scoutguardsg550.aspx

I think the biggest difference I like about the Bushnell/HCO cameras is the ability to shoot day or night video and have the LCD to have a quick peek at the pics… all for around $200 to $250. It will be interesting to see what the new Scoutguard has to offer. Otherwise, the Bushnell is looking good to us.

Some bad pics from the Cuddeback (and then some good ones). Like I said earlier, I don’t have any bad images to post of the Moultrie, but only because it was confused on which card to write to and didn’t take any pictures at all.




















Some good ones:





Shows fast trigger time:



Taken with the MOULTRIE:
 
Posts: 1051 | Location: Dirty Coast | Registered: 23 November 2000Reply With Quote
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HCO Scoutguard SG550V blows them both away


I have heard good things about these cameras,although there is a guy on another forum that is having fits with his!!!
 
Posts: 2694 | Location: East Wenatchee | Registered: 18 August 2008Reply With Quote
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